guqin tuner position

[calden]

Hey all you qin-ren:

I wrote in a while back about a qin that popped up in my out-of-the-way city. It's getting repaired now, replacing the feet. The repairman, a friend of mine, can see how to make new feet for the one end, but is confused by the end with the tuning pegs.

Right now, the pegs, when there's tension on the strings, are sticking straight out from the backside. It's easy enough to gently push them over on the side so they're mostly flat with the back, but the string tension pulls them out again. Since they're about 3" long, they stick out quite a bit and if a new foot is put on it would have to be that high at least in order to leave the pegs in that position.

Is this how it's supposed to be? It doesn't seem so - then the qin would not sit flat on a table top, but it would have one end a few inches higher than the other. So what happens with the pegs? Are they simply flopped over onto the table top?

Also, if someone could provide a nice picture of the foot on that end so my friend could copy it, that would be great.

Thanks much in advance,

Carlos

[calden]

Okay, I decided not to be lazy.

I googled several qin pictures and found that indeed the end of the qin with the tuners hangs off the table edge. But I seem to remember a mark where it looked like a long foot USED to be attached, down at the tuner end. Was that a possible variation?

Thanks,
Carlos

[Charlie Huang]

You place the head of the qin with the tuning pegs over the edge of the table (the distance between the pegs and the edge of the table is around 4 fingers). You shouldn't use the tuning pegs to support the head of the qin on the table.

The mark or stump at the head end is called the duck feet or peg protectors. They don't have a role to play except if you have a qin table with a rectangular hole in it (to put the head end in so the pegs dangle down), the peg protectors would stop the dge hitting the pegs if the qin were to slide to the side. They are mostly for aesthetic reasons as well as to help the qin be stable if you lean it against the wall in an upright position. You should not do anything to the peg protectors.




You should post a picture of the qin here so I can see if it is any cop.

[calden]

CCC:

Thanks so much. Great descriptive pics. I'll see if I can get a picture of the qin for ya.

Carlos

[Si]

Wow CCC - your qin looks to have very red marks on the sides looking at the photos.

You beat me to it with this post - it was such any easy query even i could have answered this one.

BTW do you use silk strings?

[Charlie Huang]

It's redness is maybe beciuse of the light. I'm not sure cos I'm colourblind.

I use metal-nylon but sometimes restring with silk if it takes my fancy. I somehow think it sounds better with silk but I don't use silk just in case I need to perform with it, which seems to be never, or the summer school. If I still can't sell my qin before the month is out then I'll probably string it with silk permanently as I think you only need m/n strings if you are performing.

[Si]

is that because silk makes a quiet sound?

[Charlie Huang]

Yes.

[Charlie Huang]

I've changed to silk now. I like the sound more with my qin. That plus the fact that I'm entering my 'guqin hermit' phase...

I've had the opportunity to test both the Taigu brand and the Huqiu (Yushan) brand. I can safely say that the Taigu brand is far more superior than the Huqiu. The HQ is rather too sticky and the tone is just horrid. TG is much more smooth and easy to slide on, minimal buzzing, etc. The only thing wrong with it is that the wrapping of the four outer strings tend to detach from the core during stringing/tuning high and you have to apply the glue. I think it is something to do with the batch.

[Si]

so no luck in selling your qin then i suppose!

[Charlie Huang]

I've stuck the ad on a webpage, but it seems no luck! Beggers can't be choosers. In order for me to progress, I had to re-string in silk!